Checkpoints within 'NCR Plus' will no longer check motorists for movement restrictions —Eleazar

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday said motorists will no longer undergo inspection for movement restriction at checkpoints within the National Capital Region Plus or "NCR Plus" bubble.

PNP officer-in-charge Police Lieutenant General Guillermo Eleazar however said checkpoints will still be in place to monitor movements during curfew hours and to ensure public compliance with health protocols against COVID-19.

“Beyond curfew period, they can observe, caution or accost those flagrantly violating health protocols but will no longer check motorists for movement restriction,” Eleazar told GMA News Online in a text message.

A uniform curfew of 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. is being implemented in areas covered by the bubble.

Eleazar also said checkpoints are important police interventions in case of dragnet operations during emergencies and hot pursuit operations.

The official made the clarification amid the confusion that marked the first day of the travel restrictions covering Metro Manila, Laguna, Bulacan, Cavite and Rizal -- areas that comprise the "NCR Plus" bubble.

Eleazar said they are correcting and adjusting the implementation of the "NCR Plus" bubble amid inconsistency in checkpoint operations in some areas.

“This bubble concept is new to us so that adjustments and corrections are being made to improve its implementation,” he said.

According to reports, every motorist crossing the Quezon City-Rizal control point on the Batasan-San Mateo Road had to present identification and explain the purpose of their travel, resulting in a two-hour-long traffic jam.

Due to the surge in COVID-19 cases, the national government placed Metro Manila and the four provinces under a general community quarantine bubble with a new set of regulations.

Residents of NCR and the four provinces are not allowed to go outside the bubble, while residents outside the bubble are not allowed entry except for purposes deemed by the government as "essential." —KBK, GMA News